


Welcome to Genosha Museum

by MellowShark (TheAssbenderWhisperer)



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Ableist thoughts (mentioned), Charles Xavier has a Ph.D in Adorable, Charles in a Wheelchair, Erik Has Feelings, First Meetings, M/M, Museums
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-19
Updated: 2015-11-19
Packaged: 2018-05-02 11:01:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5245859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAssbenderWhisperer/pseuds/MellowShark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Erik is forced to go to a museum by his children, he doesn't expect to fall for their tour guide.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Welcome to Genosha Museum

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tupsu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tupsu/gifts).



> This is set in a universe where Genosha is a country in of itself. It’s population mainly consists of mutants, but also humans who live alongside them. The museum depicts thousands of years of mutant history and includes archaeological finds which involve mutants, the crowns and jewels of mutants who have been royalty, etc, etc. But the present is set in a time where mutants are accepted by the world and there is a minority who still try to speak up and protest against them.

“Welcome to the Genosha Museum. I will be your guide for your tour, this afternoon.”

The feeling of metal moving alerted Erik to remembering where he was, dragged along to a museum by his children, who were currently paying attention to what the tour guide was saying. As he looked up, he noted that their tour guide was in a wheelchair, metal humming around him, but what was more important to Erik was the man himself and how blue and happy his eyes were. There was a pull towards the man, his hair bouncing as he laughed at a joke he just made, eyes wrinkled with joy.

 

“Dad!”

Feeling a tug at his legs, Erik looked down to see his son looking up with a frown, asking why the tour guide was in a chair, when he’s meant to be showing them around. With a sigh, and an internal prayer that the tour guide hadn’t heard, Erik explained to Pietro that some people are unable to walk so they use wheelchairs to get around.

“It’s rude to shout that, Pietro. People don’t deserve to be pointed at or talked about like that, this museum shows enough of how horrible that is to do so.”

With a pout, Pietro looked back at the tour guide, only to find that the rest of the group had walked off and they all had to jog in order to catch up with them.

\-----

As the tour ended, Erik watched with a smile as his children both were fascinated with the final room, still looking at the glass cases which held artefacts of mutants from thousands of years ago. Even though Erik had been born in Genosha, he wasn’t there for long, with his parents having to go out of the country for work, taking two year old Erik along with them. It wasn’t until his late teens that he went back to his home country and set up a life there, under a new name, to separate his life in a human dominated society, with his new one in a mutant dominated, where he belongs. Soon after, he’d met the girl of his dreams and within a few years they were expecting twins.

That all seemed so far in the past. After the twins were born, their mother had gotten ill and passed away before even having a chance to see her babies. The anger from Erik nearly left the hospital in ruins, as he had lost control of his mutation. The twins had been weak from a premature birth, yet now they were as energetic as any seven year olds would be, along with them both being in control and proud of their own mutations.

The metal from earlier snapped Erik out of his thoughts as their tour guide smiled up at him. A brief introduction told Erik that the man was called Charles and he was amazed at how interested the twins were in the history of mutation. Erik’s smile softened with fondness.

“They’ve been brought up on the stories I learnt when I was young. I may not have been in Genosha, but my parents were for a long time before I was born, so they knew plenty of history to tell me as a young boy. I did the same with my own children.”

Charles chuckled and discussed the opportunity for the twins to go to some workshops that the museum offers, where young mutant children have the chance to touch some of the artefacts and learn more about them. Whilst he talked, he wrote on some paper, giving Erik the details for the workshops, specifically ones that Charles ran.

Their talk about workshops turned into a talk about each other, both talking about some parts of their childhood and their lives right now, with Erik explaining the loss of the twins’ mother when they were born. Charles’ eyes widened and his heart sunk as he apologised and gave his condolences. Erik just smiled and waved his hand, explaining how he loved Magda and he’s forever grateful for his time with her and their children, but being with her felt wrong at times, like he wasn’t supposed to be with her.

“I don’t know what it was, but part of me felt like being with a woman wasn’t right for me. Not that I regret it. I did love her and did find her attractive. It just felt...odd.”

By now, Erik had sat down on a chair, Charles to his side, as they continued to talk for nearly half an hour. Both them were lost in each other’s eyes, the two of them blushing as they realised they had been staring at each other for so long. But the excitement both of them had when discussing topics that Charles had talked about in the tour and the way both of them moved their arms as they spoke, enticed them to look at each other again.

Erik found Charles’ mannerisms perfect, how his grin lit up his face, how his hands moved in such a gentle way, even when he got excited. There was a smoothness to him which Erik hadn’t experienced for so long, no sharp edges, completely open and welcoming. Especially when they went on to talk about mutations and Charles’ eyes had widened in awe at Erik making etches appear in the arm of his wheelchair, before wiping them away with a wave of his hand. Meanwhile, Erik had been fascinated with how Charles told him about his mutation, speaking directly into his mind, making him jolt in surprise but the wide smile from Erik that had followed made Charles breath a sigh of relief.

After a few minutes, the twins returned to Erik’s side and said hello to their tour guide, thanking him for the tour. Charles’ face softened at their excitement and nodded, telling them that they’re welcome to come back any time. With that, he left the room, with a brief look back to Erik, he nodded down to the piece of paper and continued to leave.

Humming in confusion, Erik lifted the piece of paper up and noticed there were actually two. Opening up the second slip of paper, Erik’s eyebrows rose as he read the phone number along with the message of ‘It’d be a pleasure to hear your voice again, maybe this time to ask if I want to go out for dinner. ;) – Charles’, although the shock didn’t last for long as the twins were pulling at his trousers, whining about how they wanted to go out for food.  He placed the paper in his back pocket and ruffled his children’s hair, chuckling as they began to pull him out of the museum in order to go for lunch.

\-----

Their first date was amazing, both the dinner and the company were exactly what both of them wanted and needed, filled with adoration and non-heated debates about how accepted mutants were in society.

Whilst Charles was optimistic about how the minority of people who still attack mutants and try to protest against them and his hope for them to change, Erik was the opposite, believing that mutants needed to show their power in order to diminish that minority. That debated ended quickly though, as they had just realised that their opposing views made conversations tense and it was unnecessary, but both had accepted the other’s opinions.

The rest of the date had consisted of hand touches every now and then, with both of them shaking their head and chuckling at how the other blushed. Charles was beyond happy that Erik had never once asked about his chair, showing him how meaningless it was to Erik, that he didn’t pity him or focus on the fact he was in a chair. As Charles thought these things, Erik’s hand moved up his arm, stroking the inside of his elbow as he got Charles’ attention, before he slipped his hand back down and lifted Charles’ hand up to his mouth, giving it a little kiss.

 

Hours later, the two of them left the restaurant they were in, holding hands as Erik moved Charles’ chair with his power, allowing Charles to hold his hand and look up at Erik as they moved through the main city center streets, blue eyes never leaving Erik’s face.

\-----

Seven months later, Erik stood, hands on hips, as he started down at Charles. They’d been fighting over the same topic for months now, unable to get each other to understand their side of the argument. With a loud sigh, Erik, exasperated, flapped his hands and began to shout.

“You work in a museum about mutations and the struggle mutants have gone through, Charles! How can you treat yourself like this?! Shutting your mutation away like it’s something to be ashamed of! Wanda’s seen how you act. How you trying to blend in with the ‘normal’ humans. Did you really think neither of the twins would notice?”

The twins had been going to workshops at the museum every weekend, for their own enjoyment, but also because they had figured out how much their dad liked Charles and they wanted them to see each other more.

Charles sat, hands on his lap, as he stared down at the floor. No matter what he said, Erik couldn’t seem to understand how he felt, nor did he really allow him time to explain. The silence after Erik’s outburst grew and a few minutes later, another sigh came from Erik, but Charles’ quiet voice stopped him from speaking.

“Do you really think I haven’t noticed? Why do you think I’ve been trying to not be around them as much?”

Charles’ head snaps up to meet Erik’s, eyes clashing, both full of rage. One of his hands moves to the arm of the chair, whilst the other clutches at his chest. Whilst shouting, the hand resting on the arm of the chair pushes down and lifts Charles up, his body higher than usual now.

“Isn’t this enough to be looked down for? You think I want my mutation to make them hate me even more? Try explaining to your children how not only do I have to deal with scum frowning at me for being in a chair, for mocking me for it, treating me like I’m not even human, but also having to deal with people acting like I’m the worst for my mutation.”

A frown appeared on Erik’s face as he went to argue, but Charles cut him off, voice taking on a sad note.

“You haven’t let me freely into your mind. No-one does. Why would they? It’s intrusive.”

 

Trying to argue, Erik rubbed his hand over his face and shook his head, saying that that couldn’t be true for everyone. Charles scoffed in response.

“Oh? It isn’t, Max?”

At Erik’s jolted response, the barriers in his mind instantly block Charles from reaching even a single thought, Charles let out a weak chuckle, followed by a weak ‘told you’, before he lowered himself back into the chair and pushed himself away.

\-----

It took five days for them to start talking again, with Charles going to and from work without saying good morning or good night to Erik, only barely speaking to the kids. Even in his chair, Charles seemed to move seamlessly and without noise.

It took five days for Charles to think about what he’d done, how he had delved deeper into Erik’s head, more than he ever imagined he would. He hurt Erik. There was a past to Erik that Charles knew nothing of, yet he’d unlocked the most important part. A forgotten name. Throughout the five days, Charles questioned how he was going to ask for forgiveness, as even though he had been hurt by Erik’s accusations, he knew how bad he had hurt Erik as well.

It took five days for Erik to see how wrong he had been. How he had been accusing Charles of something that he himself had been causing. They’d been together for just over seven months, yet he never fully welcomed Charles’ mutation, like he did his own and his children’s. He’d just assumed Charles had always been near their minds, hovering at the most basic of thoughts and every now and then talking into their minds. Now he had seen Erik’s past, before the twins, before everything Charles knows of him.

It took five days for both of them to admit their wrongs and to talk to one another. To sit down together and hold one another. Erik stroked Charles’ back as he apologised, whilst Charles clung onto Erik’s back as he did the same. Both admitted their wrongs and begged for the other to forgive them, both knowing that they had something special and didn’t want to lose it.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I apologise that one of the arts has Charles' hair different. I picked up the wrong pen colour and had already started colouring... and sorry that they're not scanned, I'm still up at uni.  
> I'm really nervous about the children part of this, as I was a bit confused with something in the secret mutant letter. But I hope what I've done is okay and you like it. Thank you for such amazing prompts! I loved them all, it was so hard to choose between them all!


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